How are Club Advisors Coping with CoronaVirus

By Daniella Boulos and Brielle Scala

After countless months of being isolated from students due to the coronavirusclub advisors at Wayne Hills Highschool were at last able to reopen their clubs. Many club advisors are ultimately making a comeback by virtually meeting with club members and achieving their newly modified goals for this year. 

The majority of club advisors all say that their students aren’t getting the same experience as in past years, but advisors think that their students will eventually get some sort of familiarity in the future once everyone has become more accustomed to this new way of life.

Andrew Poallilo, who runs the National Honor Society, commented, “We’ve had to cancel a lot of events and activities that we’ve always done. So the transition was bad, but not terrible.” 

Joseph Fleissner, who runs the Improv Club and Spring Musical, mentioned “We can, obviously, gather together digitally without too much trouble. However, Wifi lags and video-sharing hiccups can complicate things. And then, for the Spring Production, there are additional rights considerations and logistical hurdles that need to be planned for.”

While these previously mentioned club administrators believe that it was moderately difficult to transition to a virtual platform, Mati Sicherer, the advisor of the GSA (Gay-Straight Alliance), feels that it was extremely easy to switch to all virtual with no in-person meetings.

Sicherer explains that there is a definite possibility that it might be less stressful for the members of the club to talk via google meet. Also, many participants in the club find the chatbox helpful. Even though Coronavirus has made a huge impact on the GSA club,  Sicherer is still achieving her same goal of making a safe and supportive environment for the LGBTQ+ students and allies attending Wayne Hills High School. 

Everyone has mixed reviews and opinions that vary based on the club and its needs. Poalillo and Fleissner believe that it’s easier for their clubs to be in person. On the other hand, Dr. Sicherer had no problem switching to all virtual due to the fact that it isn’t necessary to talk in person.